Pluralism Conference Highlights Importance of Rule of Law, Human Rights and Devolution

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

A two day conference on pluralism in South Asia organized by the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka (NPC) with the support of the Government of Canada concluded on Tuesday in Colombo with the importance of adherence to the rule of law, human rights and devolution being highlighted by the participants. Academics, policy-makers, journalists, and civil society leaders from Bangladesh, Canada, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka took part in the event.

The conference was opened by the Canadian High Commissioner, Angela Bogdan, who emphasized that Pluralism was one of Canada’s foundational values in which every individual and community had an equal voice with a right to participate as a full member of society. She added that pluralism offered a way by which minority and majority communities could positively interact to build a better society that respects and accommodates diversity. |She also thanked the government of Sri Lanka for its high level participation and assistance in making the conference possible.

Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration D.E.W. Gunasekera acknowledged Canadian assistance in advancing language training in Sri Lanka. He also said that the government was committed to increasing Tamil language cadre in the administrative services. Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona said the 13th Amendment, which devolved power to the provinces, was the initial and tangible step that had been proposed by the All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) towards achieving a durable settlement. He also said that democratic inclusiveness had to be the foundation of efforts to bring the country back together and heal its wounds so that the entire country could be the homeland for every one of its citizens.

A variety of actions in advancing practices of pluralism in both Sri Lanka and the region was mooted by the participants. Matters discussed at the conference included comparing and contrasting institutional structures available in the region to promote pluralism, encouraging citizenship participation and protecting minority rights, religious identity in political systems, fostering pluralism in civil society and enhancing a shared understanding of pluralism as the foundation for peace, democratic governance, human rights and countering violent extremism.